Blackberries and Boys
by asphaltcowgrrl
Summary: Wes is an emotional eater and Travis catches him in the act. A short interlude following Wildflowers and Weddings based off the prompt, "That's gonna go straight to your hips."


While he'd never admit it to anyone, Wes knew he was an emotional eater. It was a thousand times easier to stuff his face with cake and fried chicken than it'd ever been to vocalize what was bothering him so much. Besides, ever since he became a lawyer, people stopped believing he even had such a thing as banal as _emotions_. And those moments when he had tried? Yeah, the end result wasn't all that pretty.

Having children had changed all that.

Returning to the daily grind after an extra-long maternity leave hadn't helped any either. He'd gotten used to staying home, hanging out with his girls (including that crackpot Dakota), and working at his own leisurely schedule. It was a rude awakening to being thrust back into a tight timetable again. One that had consequences if he didn't meet.

Simply put, Wes was exhausted.

It was a blessing that Bryony had settled into a normal sleeping pattern almost immediately after coming home from the hospital. The girl was the complete opposite of her sister who, even now at just over two, was an erratic sleeper. He had to be thankful for what he got because he and Travis could have both kids sleeping between them rather than just one or the other. However, even one put the damper on their quiet time.

Wes sighed and opened the freezer.

He didn't even want to think about that. Bri was creeping up on six months old here in the next week and he couldn't remember the last time he and Travis hadn't shared their bed with a tiny body. Not that he was complaining, he really wasn't. Travis was taking the lack of anything more intimate than a kiss goodbye in stride and yet… well, he missed those shared moments, just holding each other and listening to his lover slowly falling to sleep. It was getting to be too much.

Popping the lid on the half gallon of blackberry cobbler ice cream, Wes didn't even bother with a scoop. Instead, he stood at the counter and dug in with a spoon.

"That's gonna go straight to your hips, baby," Travis stated from the kitchen doorway. "Not that I mind you with a little meat on your bones, but you busted ass to get rid of that baby fat. Do you really want to put it back on?" His look was one part reprimand and two parts concern.

Wes stabbed the ice cream with his spoon while frowning at his lover. "Why does it even matter, Travis? Not like you ever see me naked anymore."

"Maybe if you put the spoon down?" He smiled suggestively and indicated the way to their room.

His heart fluttered for a second before reality set in. "The minute we even start thinking something like that, Violet's going to wake up and demand parental affection." Wes tugged the spoon out of the ice cream and shoveled another spoonful into his mouth, frustration overwhelming him yet again.

Travis entered the kitchen and took the spoon away from him long enough to steal a bite of his own. Licking his lips, he nodded in approval. "Nice choice, buttercup. Never thought I'd prefer fruit over chocolate, but that comes damn close." He scooped another bite into his mouth before continuing. "I gave her that crap for her ear infection that the doctor prescribed. She should be out for the night, or most of it."

Wes snagged the spoon out of Travis' hand and helped himself to a mouthful. "Antibiotics won't put her to sleep, you should know that." Really, Travis had no way of knowing any of that, this being the first time either of the kids had gotten more than a cold, but he was cranky and couldn't help himself.

Grinning, Travis swiped a finger across Wes' lower lip. "You missed something there, baby." He stuck his finger into his mouth, sucking the bit of blackberry puree and pie crust off the tip. "You'd be right but he also gave her a mild pain killer so she'd sleep. And _that_ will knock a kid the hell out."

The spoon lowered itself of its own accord. "Really? He gave a pain killer to a two-year-old?"

Travis shrugged. "He said it was very low dose, a stronger Tylenol or something, but it seems to have done the trick. That earache was pretty nasty."

Wes made a face, remembering what he'd woken up to that morning. A messy, screaming toddler. She had been in severe pain and absolutely inconsolable. "It was and as much as I'm against giving that kind of thing to a kid, I think she needed it."

"So, what do you say, lover? Up for a little snuggling?" Travis bumped his hip against Wes', playful. Hopeful.

Licking his lips and savoring the sweetness of the ice cream, Wes looked from his lover to the tub of frozen confection on the kitchen counter. "You think we could have – "

"I'll get the bowls." He pulled two large cereal bowls out of the cupboard and loaded one to the brim before handing it over with a chuckle.

Grinning, Wes was reminded of just why he loved Travis so much. Not only could the boy read his mind, he knew how to scoop a bowlful of ice cream. There'd be time for intimacy later, but right now, all they needed was each other. In the end, that's what relationships boiled down to. Your beauty faded, the sex fell off, but that desire to just be with one another never did, not if you were lucky enough to have found the right partner.

Taking Travis by the hand, he led him to the couch where they sat side by side, quietly eating their ice cream and praying the doctor was right. _Let her sleep, please let her sleep… _Just one night alone was all he asked. And even if they couldn't garner that much, he'd be happy with these few minutes.


End file.
